


Zuko's Guide To A (Not) Wonderful Trip Through The Earth Kingdom

by xhangemhighx



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Earth Kingdom (Avatar), Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Zuko Joins The Gaang Early (Avatar), there isn't too much plot but some is canon stuff, zukka - Freeform, zuko alone but he isn't alone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-08-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:34:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25535938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xhangemhighx/pseuds/xhangemhighx
Summary: Zuko discovers that Sokka is his soulmate and joins the Gaang at the South Pole. After being separating from the rest of the Gaang, Zuko and Sokka are left alone to travel through the Earth Kingdom on their way to Ba Sing Se.
Relationships: Iroh & Zuko (Avatar), Jeong Jeong & Zuko (Avatar), Jeong Jeong/Piandao (Avatar), Piandao & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka & Order of the White Lotus (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 24
Kudos: 610





	1. Our Statures Touch The Skies

**Author's Note:**

> This fic starts around the time of the episode Bitter Work but mostly ignores the length of time in canon. I wanted to make this an extra long fic and start at the Southern Water Tribe, but I won't. Backstory will be included instead.
> 
> Title is from an Emily Dickson poem.

When Zuko had joined the Avatar and his friends, he didn't imagine that one of them would be his soulmate. Even more, he didn't imagine being lost in the Earth Kingdom with said soulmate. Now he stood in a random forest with Sokka at his side, no items between them, apart from Zuko's dao swords, Sokka's boomerang, and a couple copper coins. They had no idea where they were. He and Sokka had been separated from the rest of the Gaang after Azula, Ty Lee, and Mai had ambushed them.

"Where are we?" Sokka asked.

Zuko shrugged. "How should I know?"

"Can you like, climb a tree or something?"

Zuko scoffed. "We're in the middle of nowhere. Let's just walk in a straight line and see where it takes us."

"Sounds good."

They walked in silence for a few minutes, allowing Zuko time to mull over his thoughts. Zuko couldn't help but worry a bit for the others. They were only kids, Katara, the oldest was 14. Sokka had done most of the looking for food, planning, and reading the maps.

"Can they read a map?" Zuko asked.

Sokka shrugged. "Katara might be able to. Aang is bad at it and Toph is blind."

"Awesome." Some other choice words came to Zuko's mind, but he remembered Katara had blasted him with water after he'd screamed fuck when something scared him in the swamp.

The trees began to thin out and Zuko saw the outline of buildings in the distance. It was a small Earth Kingdom village. They walked through the streets until Sokka pointed out a small stall selling fruit. He pulled a couple copper coins from his bag. The vendor, a short woman with curling brown hair, looked at them sympathetically.

"You're not from around here." She assumed. That won't get you anything."

"Oh." Sokka sighed. "Guess we'll move on then."

"Where are you going?" The woman asked. "There's not too many other villages around here."

Sokka looked back at Zuko. He didn't exactly know where they were headed.

"Ba Sing Se." Zuko decided. "I have family there."

That part was true. Uncle had left for Ba Sing Se after the siege on the Northern Water Tribe. Zuko had promised to come find him after the war was over, but that was before they'd been lost. Now, they didn't have much to do but walk. Besides, Ba Sing Se was a big, important city and Zuko was sure that Aang and the others would probably head there soon.

"It's up north." The woman pointed down the street to her right. "Take the path away from town and keep walking in that direction, you'll get there in a couple weeks. My oldest son is in the city, if you meet a boy named Balo, tell him that I miss him."

"Thank you." Zuko gave her a small smile and grabbed Sokka's hand to pull him away from the weapons stand nearby, where he'd been admiring the swords.

They walked through the rest of the village, towards the northern path that the woman had suggested. A scene in a nearby alley caught Zuko's eye.

"You want food? Sing for it!" A swordsman was swinging his dao at an old man's feet while the man sang, dodging the swords (that the swordsman clearly didn't know how to use properly, judging by his grip). A young boy, no more than five, sat next to the man, dirt covering most of his face. His hair had grown long and hung over his large eyes, making him look like a sick puppy. Zuko wanted to go up there, take the man's swords, and make him dance for his life. Unfortunately, the village's residents (and Sokka) wouldn't approve.

Next to him, he heard Sokka's stomach growl. He tore his eyes away from the people in the alley and continued towards the path, hand in hand with Sokka. They stopped in a small cave a few minutes away from the village. It was cold, so Zuko lit a small fire with the wood Sokka had brought it.

"You okay?" Sokka asked, sitting down next to his soulmate. "You looked pretty pissed off."

"I wanted to stab that guy." Zuko admitted.

"Do you need to talk to Wang Fire?" Sokka questioned, throwing his arm around Zuko's shoulder.

Sokka had pretended to be a therapist for Aang after they'd gone to the Southern Air Temple and Aang had nearly blown them off. Wang Fire, the mustached Fire Nation therapist, had been born. Zuko thought it was funny at first, but now really wasn't the time for it.

"No." Zuko refused. "I'm fine, really."

"If you say so." Sokka placed a light kiss on his soulmate's cheek.

Zuko smiled and leaned his head on Sokka's shoulder. He still blushed every time Sokka did something remotely romantic. Zuko wasn't used to casual displays of love, except from Iroh, but Sokka was determined to express his feelings. It'd only been a few months since they met, but Zuko knew he loved this dork. He just hadn't expected to ever meet him. They'd discovered they were soulmates a few days after they'd met in the South Pole, when Zhao had attacked them at the harbor. Sokka had insisted on helping Zuko bandage his slightly burnt arm and Sokka had seen the soulmark, the same dragon and wolf as on his arm. He'd revealed the mark on his arm, smiled, and awkwardly asked, _you like dragons?_

"I'm gonna go hunt. There probably isn't much game around here, but I'll see what I can find."

Zuko nodded. He was pretty hungry too, but an idea had come to him, one where they wouldn't have to hunt for food. Sure, it was a little cruel and illegal, but Sokka would understand.

Zuko did some investigating in the town after Sokka left. Investigating meant stealing some black clothes and a Blue Spirit mask. Then it meant jumping the swordsman, taking his money, and discarding the swords. As an added bonus, he broke into a snobby wealthy man's carriage and stole his gold.

"Somehow I knew you would do that." Sokka said when he saw Zuko walking back into the cave with a basket of food and an extra pair of swords.

He handed Sokka an apple. Not meat, but still filling. Sokka clearly hadn't caught anything, so he'd have to live without meat for a little while longer.

"You're not mad?" Zuko exclaimed. He thought Sokka would be angry at him at first. He had every right to be.

Sokka shrugged. "Eat the rich."

"What?" Zuko couldn't really comprehend that. Did Sokka just suggest eating people? Rich people are bad and all, but what the fuck?

"It's just a saying." Sokka explained after seeing Zuko's confused expression. "From some old book my dad had. There's more to it, but I can't remember the rest."

"Oh." Zuko replied. "It's a little weird."

"I know." Sokka booped him on the nose and Zuko pushed him away, laughing. "We're all a little weird.

The pair fell asleep in the cave, their combined (mostly Zuko's) warmth making up for the dying fire. The next morning, it was off to Ba Sing Se.


	2. And the mighty nations would have crowned me, who am crownless now and without name

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title is from the poem Flower of Love by Oscar Wilde.

Letting Sokka buy cactus juice from a market near the desert had been a bad idea. Not only did it delay their trip with Sokka being unable to walk in a straight line, Sokka was clinging onto Zuko like a leech the entire time. They'd managed to get a room in a nearby inn with remainder of the coins Zuko had stolen, despite the owner's obvious displeasure. Drinking cactus juice was as bad as alcohol and she didn't want to have to deal with Sokka.

They'd continued north the next day, when the effects had mostly worn off. Sokka was still firmly attached to Zuko's arm - his coordination was still far from perfect and his headache made it hard to see. Zuko had refused to carry him, so Sokka had come up with a different solution.

They'd stopped at another village a few days later, after Zuko had gotten sick from some berries he'd thought were safe to eat. Sokka had joked about it at first, but got worried when Zuko started shaking and seeing two of everything. They ended up in a small village hospital, Zuko laying down as he was being treated by a young woman named Song.

"What are your names?" Song asked, rubbing ointment onto the rashes that had formed on Zuko's skin.

"I'm Sokka, and that's Lee." Sokka exclaimed. They'd agreed on changing Zuko's name after one of the other villages - Zuko sounded too Fire Nation.

"You look hungry." Song commented, staring pointedly at Zuko. They hadn't been eating enough. "Would you like to join my family for dinner tonight?"

"No." Zuko objected. "We can't, we have to leave."

Song sighed. "That's a shame, my mother always makes too much roast duck."

"We'll go!" Sokka shouted, clearly excited at the idea of eating meat.

Zuko glared at his boyfriend. He didn't want to have dinner with a stranger, even if she seemed nice. Unfortunately for him, Sokka never turned down free food.

* * *

Zuko sat on the porch of Song's house, staring out at nothingness. He heard the door creak open behind him and someone sat beside him. He wished it was Sokka, but knew it wasn't. Sokka would have said his name (surprisingly endearing) or loudly announced his arrival (more annoying).

Song sat down next to him quietly.

"What happened?" She asks. She didn't need to specify what she was asking about. People always stared at him and wondered the same thing, but few were bold enough to ask.

"I don't like to talk about it." Zuko responded coldly. He wouldn't tell a random girl, the only person he'd ever told was Sokka.

"The Fire Nation hurt me too." Song admitted, pulling up her dress to reveal her leg. Her skin was mottled with ridges, shiny and very clearly a burn scar. Zuko's gut twisted. The Fire Nation had hurt this innocent girl and many others like her.

"There was a raid on our village a couple years ago." She explained. "I tried to help some patients out of the hospital and got caught in the fire."

Zuko didn't know what to say. He was never good at consoling others. He tried to imagine what someone would say to him if he explained his scar. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright." Song told him. "It's a part of me now. Just like yours is a part of you. A permanent mark, just like the one on our wrists."

Zuko looked down at his exposed wrist, where the tip of a dragon's head peaked out from his sleeve.

"Is he your soulmate?" Song was looking inside through the window, where Sokka was helping Song's mother wash the dishes and entertaining her with some random story.  
  


Zuko nodded. He hated personal questions, but this one wasn't as bad. He was proud to be paired with Sokka, something he hadn't accepted until recently. His father had always claimed the Fire Nation was superior and relationships with someone outside their nation were wrong, especially if it was another boy. Zuko rejected this teaching, like he'd rejected many others. It took him a while to get over, but he'd made peace with it. It wasn't hard when Sokka was so good.

"He seems nice." Song replied. "You're lucky to have him."

"I am." Zuko responded. "He's more than I could ever ask for."

* * *

Zuko sat a few coins down on the counter at the next market.

"What can this get me?" He asked.

"Two bags of feed." The woman replied, gazing at the ostrich horse that Song had given him.

Zuko groaned. He was hungry and Sokka had been begging him to find another inn to sleep in because he missed comfy beds. "Alright."

The woman left to retrieve the feed from inside her shop. As soon as she left, two boys peeked out from behind the counter and threw an egg at the soldiers behind him. 

"You see who threw that?" One of the soldiers, clearly the leader, asked angrily.

Zuko shook his head. The boys were only playing a harmless prank, it was no need to get them in trouble with the authorities. The vendor came back with the feed and held it out for Zuko to grab.

"We'll take that." The leader of the soldiers grabbed the feed. "Thanks for your contribution."

Zuko nearly attacked him for that, but it wouldn't have been a good idea. A teenage boy with dao swords against several armed Earth Kingdom soldiers.

"Ignore them." The vendor hissed. "Those soldiers are bullies. They're supposed to protect us from the Fire Nation, but they're just a bunch of criminals."

Zuko got back on his ostrich horse, ready to go find Sokka and get out of this damn place. One of the boys who'd thrown the egg appeared in front of the ostrich horse, smiling.

"Thanks for not telling on me!" The boy chirped.

Zuko shrugged and began to ride towards the outskirts of town, where he'd left Sokka to try and find work to earn some money. If he wanted to sleep in a cozy bed, he'd have to work for it.

"I'm Lee. Come to my family's farm!" The boy begged. "We'll feed your animal."

"Fine, let my get my friend first."

* * *

"You're friends of my son?" Lee's father asked as Lee ran up to him, Zuko and Sokka trailing behind.

Lee nodded enthusiastically. "They stood up to the soldiers, dad!"

The father, Gansu, smiled. "If you're against those soldiers, you're welcome in my home."

A few minutes later, Sokka, Zuko, and Gansu were on the barn roof. Sokka was eagerly hammering away at nails, physical labor in the Southern Water Tribe made this easy for him. Zuko, not so much. He ended up with a hammered thumb and several bent nails. He stopped after than and went to help Sela, Lee's mother, cook dinner. He wasn't good at that either.

* * *

Zuko woke up to the barn door opening, then creaking closed. He looked around. Sokka was curled up next to him, his head buried in Zuko's chest. He was snoring and Zuko found it adorable. Zuko moved to the left, trying not to wake Sokka up. He looked over to where he'd sat his things before going to sleep and one thing stood out to him -his swords were missing.

Zuko slowly removed Sokka's head from his chest and placed it on the hay. He didn't really want to get up and leave Sokka, but he needed to find out who took his swords and possibly impale them.

Zuko opened the barn door and snuck outside, closing it behind him. Across from the barn, Lee stood in a sunflower field, yelling and swinging Zuko's swords at the plants.

"You're not holding them correctly." Zuko walked up behind him, keeping his distance as to not get stabbed by his own blades. He took them from the boy and demonstrated. "You're using them separately, but they're meant to be used together. Two parts of a hole."

Lee nodded and took the swords back, swinging them much more fluidly than he had before. The kid was a natural swordfighter. He practiced with the swords for a few minutes before handing them back.

"You'd like my brother Sensu. He used to share things with me all the time." Lee commented. "He's off fighting in the war now."

"Oh." Zuko replied. He pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to Lee. "I have something for you. Read the inscription."

Zuko handed the boy a pearl dagger he'd been given by uncle years ago.

"Made in the Earth Kingdom." Lee said.

"The other one." Zuko told him.

"Never give up without a fight." 

Zuko nodded. "Take those words to heart."

* * *

Zuko was banished once more. Well, not exactly banished, more like cast out. He was hurt that Lee had rejected the dagger and hated him, but he should have expected it. These people hated firebenders and Zuko, as prince of the Fire Nation, was the perfect vessel to inflict their grievances on. He didn't look back as he rode away with Sokka, still following the northern path. No, he didn't see the burning rubble, defeated Earth Kingdom soldiers, or the betrayed look on Lee's face.


	3. Everything Carries Me To You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title is a line from the poem If You Forget Me by Pablo Neruda
> 
> *insert John Mulaney voice but saying fuck da canon instead of fuck da police*

Getting onto the ferry to Ba Sing Se was hard, but Zuko managed it with forged paperwork, bribery, and a distraction. He and Sokka walked away from the ticket counter, hands interlocked as they made their way towards the waiting ferry.

"That was amazing!" Sokka cheered. "I can't believe we got away with it."

"I know who you are." A girl stood in front of them, glaring at Sokka. "You're just the kind of filth that would do this."

"Uh..." Sokka faltered. He was frozen in place next to Zuko. Zuko was becoming increasingly worried.

"You don't remember me?" The girl exclaimed, her face contorting in what Zuko interpreted as rage. She lunged at Sokka. "Maybe this'll help."

The girl quickly pulled a fan from her pocket and hit Sokka with it, causing him to fall. Zuko caught him before he hit the ground. A wide smile grew on Sokka's face. Why would he smile about getting attacked?

"Suki!" He wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug.

Zuko saw it now. The Kyoshi Warrior leader was hugging Sokka back, grinning. She looked different without all her makeup. She wrestled away from Sokka's tight hug, he would probably have never let her go otherwise. Sokka really liked hugs - Zuko was usually the one he chose to squeeze the life out of.

She raised a hand in greeting. "Hi Zuko."

Zuko smiled. "Hey Suki. What are you doing here?"

"The Warriors and I decided to travel the world after you guys left." She explained. "We're helping out wherever we can."

Suki glanced behind Zuko, looking at the crowd waiting for tickets.

"Where are the others?" She asked.

"We lost them." Sokka explained. "They were probably headed for Ba Sing Se, so we'll meet them there. Zuko and I had to walk all the way here. Not fun."

Zuko rolled his eyes. Sokka had plenty of fun, especially when he drank cactus juice. Zuko, on the other hand, did not. It was nice to be alone with his boyfriend, but the Earth Kingdom was unpredictable and took forever to navigate. The locals didn't like him and they had little money. That made stealing an acceptable option though and Zuko wasn't about to complain about it.

"I'm sure it was plenty fun." Suki teased. "Just you and Zuko."

Zuko blushed and turned away, but Suki could probably still see the red rising up on the back of his neck. He guessed Suki had seen their soulmates marks. They hadn't been really together yet, not until after they'd escaped from Avatar Roku's temple in the Fire Nation.

"Ferry's leaving soon." Suki told them. "You better go catch it."

Zuko nodded. "Thanks. If you see the others, send them our way."

Sokka grabbed Zuko's hand and they rushed towards the ferry, to Ba Sing Se.

* * *

The ticket lady at the Ba Sing Se monorail system was suspicious. She'd immediately narrowed her eyes at the sight of Zuko's scar.

"We have two tickets." Sokka announced, placing them on the table. She stamped them both, reading the names at the top. Sokka and Lee.

"And what are you planning on doing in Ba Sing Se?" She asked, his voice clearly displacing displeasure.

"We're refugees." Zuko explained, mostly hidden behind Sokka. He didn't like this woman. "My uncle Mushi offered to take us in when we got to the city."

"Mushi?" She exclaimed. "He's quite the charmer. Tell him Ral would love for him to come back."

Zuko shuddered. Had his uncle been flirting with random women again? It was a bad idea to leave Iroh alone in the Earth Kingdom with pretty woman. Well, this woman wasn't pretty. Not that Zuko could judge, he didn't like women that way, but she was middle aged and had a large wart in the middle of her forehead.

"I'm going to forget that ever happened." Zuko groaned as Sokka grabbed their passes and pulled them to the monorail.

* * *

Zuko and Sokka now stood in the Lower Ring, already lost. 

"How do we find your uncle?" Sokka asked, taking in the grungy surroundings.

Zuko shrugged. "It can't be too hard. I'll ask around."

Zuko caught the arm of a man in a nearby alley. "Have you seen an old man anywhere? Name's Mushi, likes tea?"

The man smiled. "I met Mushi last week! He encouraged my dream of becoming a masseur."

"That's great." Zuko ignored the man's previous statement. "Could you tell us where he is?"

"He owns a tea shop in the Upper Ring." The man informed. "I can't remember the name."

Sokka shrugged. "Can't be too many of them, we'll find him."

* * *

"What do you mean we can't get in!"

Sokka was yelling at the Dai Li agent that blocked their entry into the monorail to the Upper Ring. "We have the money!"

They did actually have the money. Zuko still had some "borrowed" funds from rich nobles and a day's work at the bakery had supplied enough funds for two monorail tickets into the Upper Ring.

"Peasants like you have no business in the Upper Ring." The Dai Li agent sneered.

Sokka was getting pretty angry about this. "And you have no idea who we are! I'm friends with the Avatar!"

"And I'm the prince of the Fire Nation." The Dai Li agent mocked. "Get lost."

Zuko wisely chose not to respond.

Sokka pulled a rolled up piece of paper from his bag and unfurled it.

Zuko took a closer look - it was a Fire Nation wanted poster for Aang, Sokka, and Katara. Avatar and Sokka and Katara of the Southern Water Tribe wanted, 10000 gold piece reward. 

"Why do you still have that?" Zuko asked as the Dai Li agent examined it.

Sokka shrugged. "I thought it was funny."

"I believe you." the Dai Li agent admitted. Then, he gestured to Zuko. "But who is he?"

Sokka threw his arm around Zuko. "This is my buddy Lee! We're visiting his uncle in the Upper Ring."

"Fine." The Dai Li agent sighed. "Go ahead. Just don't cause any trouble."

"Yes!" Sokka pumped his fist in the air and grabbed Zuko's arm, pulling him towards the monorail.

* * *

The first Zuko noticed when stepping off of the monorail was a board with fliers. A flier for a new tea shop caught his eye. It was for the Jasmine Dragon and boasted 'the best tea in Ba Sing Se'. Zuko immediately knew it was his uncle - who else would name it the Jasmine Dragon? Zuko found the address and followed the few street signs towards his destination. Sokka trailed behind, making sure Zuko didn't bump into anything again when he looked down at the flier.

At last, they arrived in front of the tea shop, the doors open and welcoming. Zuko walked in and stopped in the doorway. His uncle stood in the back of the shop, talking to an older woman. Zuko began to walk forward again, taking small but purposeful steps towards his uncle. His uncle looked up, straight at Zuko, and smiled.

"Nephew!" Iroh yelled and enveloped Zuko into a tight hug. "I was wondering when you would visit."

"Hi uncle." Zuko greeted. "I missed you."

"We had to walk through most of the Earth Kingdom to get here." Sokka complained. Zuko had almost forgotten he was there.

"Sokka!" Iroh exclaimed. "A pleasure to see you."

Sokka smiled. "You too, Uncle."

Iroh had got the entire Gaang to call him Uncle on their way to the Northern Water Tribe. Zuko had been annoyed at first, but ultimately accepted it.

"Sit," Iroh ordered. "I'll bring you two some tea."

Zuko sat down across from Sokka. He noticed a small group of people sitting at the back of the shop - two of whom he recognized. King Bumi and Piandao, his childhood swordsmanship teacher. The other man, with spiky white hair and two scratches along the side of his face, sat next to Piandao.

"Old friends." Iroh explained as he placed the tea in front of them. "I will be back in a couple minutes."

He glanced over to the back table. "There's a pai sho game calling my name."

Zuko sipped at his tea, glad to be back with family. Well, family that loved him.

"I wonder where Aang is." Sokka mused. "They better come to Ba Sing Se."

Zuko shrugged. "Toph is either beating him up with rocks, they're taking another minivacation, or they're on their way here."

"Sokka!" Iroh called from the back table, where he'd finished up a quick pai sho game, beating Bumi. "Would you like a try?"

Sokka nodded and sprang out of his seat. He turned to Zuko. "Prepare to see me win."

Zuko rolled his eyes. "Yeah right."

Sokka sat down across from Iroh. Zuko draped himself on the chair behind him, still drinking his tea.

"Sokka is quite the strategist." Iroh was explaining. "He's nearly beat me a couple times!"

Zuko smiled when he saw Sokka's expression. Sokka loved to be praised and seen as good at what he did.

The game started and both Iroh and Sokka were silent, deep in concentration. Zuko watched, disinterested. Pai sho was boring to him. Instead, he looked across the table at Piandao, who was whispering something to the man with the wild white hair. Apparently they were old friends of his uncle? How did Piandao even get in Ba Sing Se - he was Fire Nation.

Sokka won the pai sho game. Zuko had never seen anyone beat his uncle before.

"Well done." Iroh congratulated. "I was only going easy on you."

Sokka smiled. "Of course, Uncle."

"This is Piandao." Iroh began to introduce the others at the table. "Then Jeong Jeong, and both of you know Bumi."

Wait, Jeong Jeong, the man who deserted the Fire Nation army and lived? That Jeong Jeong?

"Nice to meet you!" Sokka cheered. 

Piandao nodded. "And you, Sokka."

He turned towards Zuko. "It's been a long time. How are you?"

Zuko set his cup of tea down on the table. "I'm doing well."

Zuko sucked at small talk. Thankfully, Sokka did most of the talking. Explaining their adventures with Aang, their trip through the Earth Kingdom, and then ranting about that Dai Li agent.

* * *

Zuko dropped his bag on the small bed in Iroh's guest room. Sokka jumped onto it.

"Finally!" He exclaimed. "A mattress."

Zuko rolled his eyes. "You don't mind sharing?"

Sokka smiled. "Not if it's with you."

"You're so cheesy." Zuko groaned. "Why?"

He sat down on the mattress next to Sokka.

"Because I have the best boyfriend ever." Sokka replied.

Zuko blushed. "Shut up."

"Make me." Sokka retorted. He seemed to know exactly what he was asking.

Zuko did as told.

* * *

Zuko sat in the grass in a courtyard in the Upper Ring, next to Jeong Jeong. Earlier that day, Sokka had been talking to Zuko about his swords, asking if Zuko would teach him. He'd nearly spilled the tea he was serving when Piandao offered. Now they were training in a secluded part of the Upper Ring, swords clashing. Zuko watched as Sokka was knocked onto the ground by Piandao again. He laughed when Sokka came up covered in mud.

"Your boy's not bad." Jeong Jeong commented. "Certainly creative."

Jeong Jeong had just called Sokka Zuko's. While he wasn't wrong, Zuko wanted to know how he'd figured it out. It's not like they were hiding it, but they'd made sure not to make out in front of any adults happening to linger around the Jasmine Dragon.

"He looks at you like a lovesick fool." Jeong Jeong explained when he caught Zuko looking at him curiously. "It's insufferable."

Zuko shrugged. "You wanna stop him, be my guest. He's pretty much impossible to argue with."

"Well so am I." Jeong Jeong muttered. 

Yeah, that was probably true. From what Zuko had heard of him, he seemed pretty tough. After all, not just anyone could leave the Fire Nation army and live. How he knew Iroh was still a mystery. Maybe they'd gotten to know each other when Iroh during the war? And what about Piandao - they seemed close.

"How do you all know each other?" Zuko asked after a few moments of silence.

"I know your uncle from the army." He paused. "And at Piandao's estate, you don't remember?"

Zuko shook his head. He'd blocked out most memories from his young age. He'd held on to some memories from his time at Piandao's, happy to be away from the cruelties of his father, but most of those happy times had been replaced with moments of torture. For every time he held a sword, there were as many times he was burnt by his father and sister for not bending correctly.

"I was there for your training." Jeong Jeong told him. "You never knew my name, just that I was with Dao. I taught you how to set your swords on fire."

Zuko still didn't remember. And Dao - that was a nickname he'd never thought Jeong Jeong, who seemed closed off, would use.

"As much as I hate to say it, you were a good kid." Jeong Jeong reminisced. "Very nosy though."

Zuko looked to Jeong Jeong's exposed wrist. Sure enough, symbols of a broadsword and a fire. They were soulmates. The few times he'd heard Piandao mention something about a partner, he would have been talking about Jeong Jeong. That... made a lot of sense.

Zuko didn't say anything. He missed that part of his childhood, but there's no way he would go back to it. 

Sokka sat down next to Zuko, his training lesson for the day clearly over. 

"Wanna spar me sometime?" Sokka asked. "Don't worry, I'll go easy on you."

Zuko rolled his eyes. "More like I'll go easy on you."

"I'm not that bad." Sokka argued.

Zuko shrugged. "Yeah, you're pretty good for a beginner."

Sokka smiled and pressed a kiss to his boyfriend's cheek, despite the fact that Piandao and Jeong Jeong were right there.

* * *

Zuko was prepared. He hadn't had much time to relax for the last few months, so he was determined to do that tonight. He'd promised to take Sokka out on a date so they could both enjoy themselves and forget about the war for one evening. The people of Ba Sing Se seemed to have no problem doing that.

"You ready?" Zuko knocked on their bedroom door.

"Yeah!" Sokka called. "Gimme a second."

Sokka opened the door. His hair was free from its usual ponytail, parted in the middle and almost reaching his chin. Zuko had seen his hair down before, but never like this. He stared for a while before realizing what he was doing.

"You like it?" Sokka smirked.

Zuko nodded. "It looks good."

Good was an understatement.

Zuko decided to take Sokka to a spot he'd found on a walk. He led Sokka through the dimly lit streets and around the few people still left roaming them. When he got to the fountain, the lights were off. He looked around, making sure no one else was around.

"The lights aren't normally off." He said. "I have a solution."

He threw fire at the lanterns, bathing the area in the soft light of flames. 

"Woah," Sokka gasped. "This place is beautiful."

"It's called the Lovers Fountain." Zuko informed. "Supposedly made by a pair of soulmates when Ba Sing Se was founded."

He looked at Sokka, who was taking in the beauty around him. For Zuko, the only thing he could focus on was Sokka.

"Are you just going to stare at me or are you gonna kiss me?" Sokka asked.

Zuko chose to kiss him. 

* * *

Zuko felt it before he saw her. The ground outside the tea shop rumbled, shaking the floor inside. A teapot nearly slipped off the table, but Zuko caught it before any mess could be made. As he placed it back on the table, she came in.

Zuko felt arms grab his waist and he tensed. Then he looked down. Toph.

"Hey Sparky." She greeted. "Is Snoozes here?"

"Yeah," Zuko replied. "How'd you find us?"

"Lucky guess." Toph answered. "Now go get Snoozles and your uncle. I want some tea."

Zuko walked to the kitchen, where Iroh was preparing tea while Sokka was looking over the orders he'd written down in his trademark awful scribbles.

"Toph's here." He announced. 

Sokka turned around. "What about Katara and Aang?"

Zuko shrugged. "I didn't ask."

Zuko and Sokka walked out to where Toph had sat down. Sokka pulled her into a loose hug after she'd punched him in a shoulder.

"Where's my sister and Aang?" He asked.

"We have a house in this ring." Toph informed, now stuffing her face with the rolls Zuko had brought her. "Twinkletoes is probably out looking for Appa. Sugar Queen's helping."

"Let's go." Sokka urged. "I wanna see my sister."

"We have to finish our shift first." Zuko told him. "We can't leave Uncle alone in the shop." 

Sokka groaned. "Fine."

* * *

Sokka and Zuko followed Toph through the streets, arriving at a small house on the outskirts of the Upper Ring. Sokka pushed open the door.

"Katara!" He yelled, running over to his sister, on the other side of the room. He wrapped her in a tight hug.

Zuko stepped inside and closed the door behind Toph.

"Zuko!" Aang was practically buzzing with excitement. "You're okay! And look!"

Aang produced a large flame in his hand and began to swirl it around himself. He'd been practicing.

"Put the fire away." Zuko ordered. "No burning down the house."

Aang stopped firebending and hugged Zuko. Zuko hugged back hesitantly. He looked over to Katara and Sokka, talking animatedly, smiles on their faces. Finally, their little family was back together again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just realized I forgot Pakku but I know we all hate him so good riddance.


End file.
